If you haven’t been out and about in Natchez lately, you’re missing out on tons of fun. Between Spring Pilgrimage tours and Tableaux pageants, this past week was a busy one for the Natchez area.

Residents and visitors alike flocked to the City Auditorium Friday to see hoopskirts, hear those old Southern songs and relive some of Natchez’s most vibrant history. This year’s Historic Natchez Tableaux format was different than past pageants, but as Friday night demonstrated, the same high caliber of talent remains.

And while performers spent the week gearing up for a busy Pilgrimage season, our local leaders moved forward on important infrastructure issues — such as whether the city should renew its existing engineering contract with Natchez Water Works or re-establish an in-house engineering department.

Delta-Energy also announced its plans to move forward with the purchase of a section of the former International Paper mill site for an industrial project that is estimated to create 91 jobs. This is great news for the Miss-Lou, and we hope the project progresses on schedule.

Natchez also succeeded in capturing a $15,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission to keep the Natchez Little Theatre in business. One of the oldest community theaters in the state, the theater contributes tremendously to the community — and we’re glad it will be enjoyed for many more years.

With all the great events and improvements the area has seen recently, we can only imagine what good things the next week has in store for our community.